News 06:00

BULLETIN 12April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Nzimande has dissolved the board of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme
# Rugby: A R4.6-million windfall for the Bulls despite the outcome of the Champions Cup quarterfinal
# And Ron Goldman’s father says OJ Simpson’s passing is no great loss to the world

# Higher Education, Science and Technology minister, Blade Nzimande, has dissolved the National Student Financial Aid Scheme board with immediate effect. He has also placed the scheme under administration. This follows the resignation of board chairperson Ernest Khosa. Nzimande’s spokesperson, Veli Mbele, says the minister had a meeting with the scheme’s board yesterday to communicate his decision, which will be gazetted today:

Meanwhile, Khosa says he has resigned because of continued security concerns for himself and his family. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse had accused him and Nzimande, of receiving millions of rands in kickbacks from service providers contracted by the scheme. Allegations they have both denied. He says he wanted to resign in January but at that time it would have been interpreted as bowing to pressure and acceptance of guilt.

# Newly elected Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza says the utmost priority is to ensure the sustainable provision of basic services across the metro. He is the fourth mayor to be elected in the metro in less than four years, succeeding the African Independent Congress’ Sivuyile Ngodwana, who was voted out in a motion of no confidence last month. Xhakaza, from the ANC, says he is confident that he can turn around the metro with the cooperation of a multi-party government:

# The High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo, has sentenced the five men found guilty of the murder of Collins Chabane mayor Moses Maluleke to life imprisonment. He was killed at his homestead in Xikundu village while his son was with him in July 2022. Deputy judge president Matsaro Semenya also sentenced the five men to ten years each for attempted murder, 15 years for conspiracy to commit robbery, and five years for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence.

# Rugby: Tomorrow’s Champions Cup quarterfinal against Northampton Saints will bring with it a nice windfall for the Bulls. The match will be played at a sold-out Franklin Gardens, while the competition’s rules state teams share a 50-percent gate revenue. This means the Pretoria team will be paid about 4.6-million-rand, despite the outcome. Few pundits give the Bulls a fighting chance to win the encounter after having to travel to Europe and get used to totally different playing conditions at short notice.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-72-cents and the euro at 20-rand-9-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-51-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-190-dollars-52-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-385-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Fred Goldman says the passing of OJ Simpson only further underscores his grief for his son. His son, Ron, was found stabbed to death along with his friend, Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Simpson Brown, in Los Angeles in June 1994. Simpson, a former National Football League star, who passed away at the age of 76 after battling cancer, was acquitted of the two murders. Goldman says Simpson’s passing is no great loss to the world.

Stay tuned for more news………….